Dorothy’s Forbidden Grimoire Novel - Chapter 440
**Chapter 440: Hire**
*Northern shore of the Conqueror Sea, Trouve.*
In a modest, shadow-filled room within a roadside inn, Dorothy sat before a writing desk, engrossed in the glowing interface of the *Sea of Texts Navigation*. She was deep in communication with Beverly, stationed far off in Tivian. Their conversation had yielded a wealth of valuable intel. But one detail in particular caught Dorothy completely off guard: the actual spiritual alignment of the Wandering Wall class.
*So their dominant alignment is “Stone” with “Shadow” as support—not the other way around?* Dorothy mused with a furrowed brow. *The Gloom Gold Society’s manipulation tactics are impressive, I’ll give them that. Exactly what you’d expect from a black-market faction. Misreading the core spiritual makeup of an enemy profession in combat could spell disaster.*
As she scanned the latest message from Beverly, Dorothy contemplated what could’ve gone wrong. Relying on the Society’s false profile, any strategist would likely anticipate a stronger “Shadow” element—meaning they’d skip or downplay “Lamp”-type detection techniques at their own peril. They’d be unprepared for the Wandering Wall’s formidable “Stone”-based defenses—and that’s precisely how Dorothy had nearly miscalculated earlier.
Had she realized the Wandering Wall’s main affinity was “Stone”, and that it could wield something like second-rank hardened-skin techniques, she never would’ve let her corpse puppet casually raise its firearm and open fire. That poor decision wasted a clean shot and allowed the target to get away. If she’d possessed the correct data, she would’ve opted for a more suitable method to disable the operative swiftly—and preserved her spiritual reserves for later.
That revelation also cleared up a mystery that had bothered her for some time. Dorothy had long assumed Jenkem—the previous Wandering Wall she’d faced—was affiliated with the Eight-Pointed Nest. But she’d never encountered another like him during her subsequent battles against the Spikes. Now it made sense: Jenkem had simply been a mercenary under the Gloom Gold Society’s payroll.
With that picture becoming clearer, Dorothy tapped the edge of her chin thoughtfully, then dipped her pen and began scribbling again on the open parchment.
“I think I’ve gotten a fairly solid grasp on what this Gloom Gold Society actually is. And to think, I just came to Trouve for supplies.
“That aside, I assume you’re up to speed on what’s happened with your local office here? What’s your next step? Are you alerting Guild HQ for immediate backup?”
She finished the message and sat quietly, waiting. Soon, text began emerging on the paper in Beverly’s tidy script.
“Of course I’ll report it… but honestly, I doubt it will change anything. The branch in Trouve is already lost. That group has probably milked our name for all it’s worth. The damage is severe. There’s little left to salvage.”
Dorothy’s eyes narrowed slightly as she digested the bleak assessment. She replied:
“Even if you can’t reclaim the branch, doesn’t that alone justify retaliation? Letting them walk freely just opens the door to more of the same.”
“Retribution is absolutely our goal,” Beverly answered, “but time isn’t on our side. These parasites are sharp. They never linger once the profit dries up or danger approaches. Their ‘masked exploitation phase’ never lasts long.
“You just eliminated two of their Wandering Walls, didn’t you? An alert of that scale guarantees they’ll start packing up immediately. If we send people now, they’ll find only empty storefronts and wiped tracks.”
Frustrated, Dorothy gnawed lightly at the tip of her pen. If only Beverly had shared this sooner, she might have handled tonight’s situation far more efficiently.
“So you’re seriously just letting them vanish into the wind? Couldn’t you reach out to the Church? Or even Castile’s underground police? There must be some official route—didn’t you say these sanctioned forces loathe the Gloom Gold too?”
“In theory, yes. We will be dispatching agents. But they won’t arrive in time to stop the exodus. As for leveraging the Church or the Castile Secrecy Bureau… it’s not viable. Don’t forget—the Mason’s Guild holds to a strict policy of neutrality. We don’t outwardly support recognized powers or so-called cult factions.
“Openly collaborating to bring down the Gloom Gold—even if others agree with us—would be seen as favoritism. That would alienate our broader client base. Some would divert their trade to the Gloom Gold just to spite us.
“That neutrality is what allows the Mason’s Guild to serve as the top-tier marketplace of the hidden world. It’s how we do business with everyone. Internal conflicts must stay internal.”
Dorothy’s lips pressed into a thin line. Disregarding institutional assistance felt wasteful. She penned another note, a bit sharper than before.
“So… you’re just going to let this injustice slide?”
The Masons had always been pragmatic operators in her experience—rarely caught off guard. Seeing them outmaneuvered like this was jarring. Beverly’s next response, however, shifted that perception.
“Injustice? Perhaps. The Gloom Gold has outplayed us before. They use their decentralized model and pseudo-legitimacy well. But tonight’s setback isn’t final.”
“You still have pieces in play?” Dorothy asked, eyebrow raised. “Someone on the ground here?”
The answer came quickly.
“Obviously. Aren’t *you* in Trouve?”
“…Me?”
Dorothy blinked at the page, taken aback that Beverly had her tagged for this. After a moment, she scribbled back.
“You’re not about to ask me to clean up your mess for you.”
“But that’s exactly what I’m asking. The Gloom Gold personnel here won’t wait around. Our official agents can’t arrive in time. Without bringing in sanctioned forces, you’re our best—and only—option.
“I know what you’re capable of, neighbor. Let me formally hire you to eliminate their presence. You’ll be well compensated by the Guild.”
Dorothy leaned back slightly, staring at the bold proposal. After a pause, she wrote:
“You’re suggesting I act on your behalf. Does that still count as staying neutral?”
“How would it not?” Beverly answered. “You’re not part of any known group within the hidden world. Your background is too obscure. No one in Castile’s network has pegged you yet. You’re the perfect ghost. If you carry out this task quietly, you’ll simply be a tool we employed—untraceable and unaffiliated.”
Dorothy took a long breath. She didn’t fully understand why Beverly seemed to wield such high-level authority within the Guild, but their established connection—and this confident tone—made her inclined to trust her. Just this once.
“Fine. I’ll take the job. I’ll confront these profiteers before they can slip away…”
“Excellent. Your target is the full set of Gloom Gold operatives still remaining in Trouve. Prioritize their leadership. A base of this scale likely includes at least one or two ranked at White Ash. Proceed with care. If you find yourself outmatched, disengage. This is not a mandatory mission.”
Beverly’s message continued unfolding, and Dorothy gave a single firm nod. But before any action, she required specifics.
“I’ll need every scrap of intelligence you can provide before I act. Detail the Wandering Wall advancement lines, especially those leading to White Ash. List their actual non-ordinary capabilities.”
As the lamplight flickered gently above her, Dorothy watched Beverly begin laying out the comprehensive briefing she’d requested—an in-depth breakdown of the Wandering Wall’s progression path, with special focus on the upper-tier mutations. And as she read the description of what a White Ash-level Wandering Wall could do, her frown deepened.
If Beverly’s intel was right, these versions were staggeringly dangerous. Among all White Ash professions Dorothy had encountered, these stood near the top.
Brutally strong—and distinctly mismatched against Dorothy’s own toolkit. Taking them down wouldn’t just be hard—it would be a brutal trial.
*Going by Beverly’s rundown, this level of strength borders on absurd. Can I really beat something like that? …Tch. Either way, I no longer have the luxury of waiting.*
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